SENIOR VOLUNTEERS
The elderly in Europe
The number of people aged 65 and over1 in the European Union made up about 20% of the total population in 2020 and is expected to rise and reach 28.5% by 2050. In Italy, according to a 2020 report by the World Bank, this figure was 23%. In the U.K there are about 12 million people aged 65 and over, but the number is expected to rise by more than 40% in 20 years.
Reasons for volunteering
The elderly often decide to volunteer when something happens in their lives, e.g. an illness; and men and women make different choices. Women are generally attracted to caring roles, while men tend to look for roles in community transport or sports clubs.
39% of seniors choose volunteering because members of their family volunteer. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising. However, there are other aspects to volunteering that also influence participation, such as flexibility. Older people do not just sit around waiting to be useful. They might spend a lot of time looking after grandchildren, or those with more money to spend might look to travel or developing their hobbies.
WARM UP
• In your opinion, are there more male or female senior volunteers?
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1 According to a 2018 study of the SIGG (Società Italiana di Gerontologia e Geriatria), the new age of the elderly has increased to 75 in developed countries, such as ltaly.
Benefits of volunteering
15% of older volunteers are keen on continuing to learn and so choose roles where they can learn new skills or where they can make the most of their professional experience. In general, people over 70 don’t mind what their role is, they just want to do something useful and need positive feedback from it.
Volunteering1
Older people greatly contribute to the volunteering that takes place all over Europe.
However, with older people so willing to split their time between several different organisations and other commitments, this could mean charities having to work harder to offer appropriate volunteering experiences. Moreover, the elderly are not a homogeneous category.
DO
1 The word "volunteering" was fi rst used in the late 16th century with reference to the military world. What is the main use of the word today?